The Rural Voice, 2003-07, Page 55RAINY�R.R. 1, Devlin, Ontario POW 1C0
41P•_ 807-486-3622
• r The i Voice is provided to Rainy
Federation of Agriculture NEWSLETTER
RAINY RIVER VALLEY River Federation members by the RRFA.
June 18, 2003
Pastures are growing and the local
dairy farms are putting up silage now.
We've had rain and plenty of sunshine to
make this all happen.
Believe it or not, the mosquitoes have
not yet made an appearance in the area.
They must be scared off by the West Nile
thing as well. We also heard that people
should not be throwing uneaten french
fries in the local dumps. It seems they
cause cancer in rats and they are just too
hard to round up to give treatments to.
Now we have to watch out for
Monkey pox carried by gophers and
possibly other small rodents. The wood
ticks are back, so we have to be careful of
Lyme disease. Sars is still around, so
we're supposed to wear masks when we
meet friends. The army worms have
settled in to a few places — thank God,
they eat only plant life. The grasshoppers
are coming and the cabbage butterflies.
Did I miss any? Maybe we should stay
inside and forget about living. Pretty
scary world. isn't it? But, it's all mind
over matter, if we let it get to us, it will.
Enjoy life. Take each day as it comes and
be glad you're still on this planet to talk
about it.
The RRFA meeting was held June 3 at
Morley. It was another busy month, but
Bernie Zimmerman, Linda Armstrong,
Kristine Carpenter, Shirley Morrish,
Rudy Sinninghe, James Gibson, Susan
Boersma, and Angela Halvorsen attended.
October 18 is the possible date for the
annual meeting. Kees is not seeking re-
election this term, so a new provincial
director is being sought.
Linda also reported for the Farm
progress building. There are 17 to 18
booked and lots of inquiries about
obtaining a space at the fair in this large
informational building.
Bernie gave the report for the milk
committee. There are 13 dairy farmers
left in the district. Volume has not
changed since February. There's lots of
milk and a big demand for milk products.
The ethnic groups are now changing their
non -milk drinking habits. They were
drinking watered-down buffalo milk.
A Danish company famous for
chocolate milk is now spiking milk with
cognac and vodka. Dr. Pepper — SevenUp
Inc. in Texas is making five flavours
called "Raging Cow". It's being sold on
college campuses in vending machines.
Milk consumption could rise even more
with the new exotic beverage sales.
Wally Hunsperger, manager over at
the Community Pasture would like an
assistant or even someone to take his
place. You can reach Wally at 807-482-
2581.
Angela attended a conference in
Newfoundland recently and came back
with lots of ideas. High on the priority is
the website. She says that farmers have
the chance to get on line with their
products and the cost is as low as $200.
Angela has all the information on how to
do this. She is willing to set you up on the
website link. There will be more
information on this at the fair.
This border issue has everyone
baffled. Rudy suggested that it should be
closed both ways, not just one way. Reg
agreed. Trudeau would have made sure of
it in his time.
Bob Hope turned 100 years on May
29: one of the greatest entertainers of all
time.
If you're concerned about BSE and
need emotional support, there is a phone
service available at 1-888-451-2903 and a
Farm Consultation Service at 1-866-452-
5558. For updates throughout the week,
check out the CFIA website at
w w w. i nspection. gc.c a
We can make jokes about it, but many
don't really understand the impact of Mad
Cow Disease on the future of our beef
industry. Keep a positive attitude and
hope that the officials are able to end this
investigation very soon.
There's a mystery ailment with
Australian cattle which is believed to
come from a plant called Rough Dog's
Tail. It's a bovine liver disease
(Cynosurus echinatus) and only occurs at
certain times of the year. They've been
advised to avoid heavy grazing in
paddocks containing Rough Dog's tail in
humid weather. Tasmania was reported to
have it in 1987. It doesn't matter where
you are in this world, someone has a
problem and usually far worse than yours.
When selling cattle to auction
markets, you're advised to phone first.
Producers don't expect buyers to be there,
so cattle numbers are down. Some
markets are closed until the borders are
reopened. Don't assume auction markets
are open or closed, so call first to save
yourself the hassle.
Researchers have found that a cow's
eyes betray stress. The bigger the whites
of her eyes are, the more stressed the cow
is. Testing was done by Researchers at
the Agricultural University of Norway.
I've noticed the same thing in people.
The brand new Fairway/Cloverleaf
Store is now open in Emo. It will be
known as Shop -Easy Foods and carries a
variety of everyday items.
Kristine reported for OAFE (Ag
Awareness). We're preparing for the Emo
Fair and our display of "Pork and Pigs"
for educational purposes. We've given
out lots of information and recipes. The
big attraction for students on the farm
tours to Willow -Mor Farms is "Rosie"
and her litter of 15 piglets. It's hard to
look at this monstrous -sized momma and
think "hams and bacon". She actually
communicates with the kids. It's
something to see!
PETA is protesting the way chickens
are being killed. They want suppliers to
abandon practices such as stunning and
slitting throats, instead using gas to kill
them. PETA is unveiling a billboard in
six U.S. cities showing Col. Sanders
clutching a terrified chicken in one hand
and a bloody knife in the other. KFC will
adopt new guidelines for the humane
treatment of poultry by the producers they
buy from.
Fort Frances is celebrating 100 years.
This July will be the biggest party ever.
The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. and the
route has been changed from previous
years. Many events are taking place June
26 - July 1. It will combine "Fun in the
Sun" and "Homecoming" for many past
residents of this border town. Stratton is
also celebrating 100 years with lots of
great activities.
Emo Fall Fair happens again in
August. Girls between the ages of 15 to
18 years are needed to compete for Fair
Queen. Contact Debby Carlson at 482-
1036. The Grandstand Jam takes place on
July 1 at Emo. Call Candy at 483-3055
for details.
Remember to work safely this busy
summer. Our local Safety Association
spent an all -day Saturday visiting about
22 farms to hand out safety literature,
signs, kids' cards and booklets. It was an
opportunity for rural residents to be aware
of our local organization and to know we
care. It was a good day, and we only hope
the message was taken in the same way
we presented it.
"The human brain starts working the
moment you are born and never stops
until you stand up to speak in public."
— George Jesse!
Have a safe and productive summer.0
— Submitted by Shirley Morrish
JULY 2003 51